An application to explore for petroleum and gas on the Northern Tablelands has worried an environmental group, concerned it will open the floodgates to coal seam gas and mining in the area.
The petroleum special prospecting authority application, lodged by the NSW Aboriginal Land Council, covers more than 47,000 square kilometres from south of Walcha up to Tenterfield and across to the coast, including Guyra.
Armidale Action on Coal Seam Gas spokeswoman Carmel Flint said the group would request that Resources and Energy Minister Chris Hartcher reject the application.
“We were alarmed to discover this that an application for coal seam gas ‘prospecting’ has been submitted across a vast area including the New England Tablelands,” she said. “This application may be the beginning of a process which leads to exploration and mining of coal seam gas across our region, and in light of that we are encouraging all political parties to support the coal seam gas moratorium in Parliament.
“We now also feel an even greater urgency about informing local people about the severe risks that coal seam gas mining poses to our water, our food producing land and our natural areas.
In response to the news about the application, The group are organising a number of events for the local community to get informed, including a Coal Seam Gas Forum at 7.00pm, 2nd May at the Town Hall (to be confirmed) and a tour of the Pilliga coal seam gas exploration field from the 13th-15th April.
Th Guyra Argus
Yes, its shocking enough, the Pilliga is prime example of what to expect with CSG. It cant go ahead in prime grazing and agricultural land
ReplyDeletehttp://www.change.org/petitions/no-coal-seam-gas-mining-on-northern-tablelands-no-coal-seam-gas